बाबा..! विमान..!! (Dad, look! a plane!!)

A little girl exclaimed with enthusiasm as she pointed out a tiny airplane to her dad. She was standing at the window next to my seat in the suburban train, watching the plane gliding idly across the sky. The train was moving and the plane was fast disappearing out of her view. She started struggling to catch a last glimpse of the plane thru the corner of the window. It was so silly, and funny, but the little girl was enjoying it. Inadvertently I caught myself doing the same.

Suddenly I realized it, and withdrew myself immediately, lest ‘others’ see me doing what I was doing – watching a plane in the sky. Grown-ups are not supposed to get excited by little objects in the sky. Grown-up’s are supposed to behave like grown ups and watching planes is certainly not a ‘grown-up’ thing to do. These are the rules grown-up’s make for other grown-up’s. What a pity.

I admit, I get excited looking at aircrafts, jets, and other objects flying high in the sky. In fact, I get so excited, that I trace the object until it becomes an infinitely small dot in the sky. My friends think I’m an immature kid, especially the ones who live in the vicinity of the airport.

Children are innocent little beings. They follow their instincts and listen to their heart. As we grow up, we try to do things that are socially acceptable and respectable in the scheme of things we have designed ourselves. This often means restricting ourselves from listening to what our heart says. “Dance like nobody is watching, sing like nobody is listening” is an excellent quote, but it’s easier said than done. I’m not going to preach any more philosophy, but arrive straight to the resolution – Don’t suppress your heart’s voice.

Why should I deny myself the pleasure of doing what I really like? Who really cares about it? The next time I see a plane through the window of my train, I am going to enjoy watching it. I’m going to let my heart act unrestrained.

• You made my day (16)
• There it is! (4)
• The unalterable soul (4)
• The perfume seller (8)
• The Blue Chatur (42)

It was a long time ago. I was young and full of energy. I swam freely in the large ocean body with millions of my brothers. Oh how I remember those wonderful days. I played with the fish and rode on the back of the seahorses. At times I splashed against the shore or danced in the stormy sea. Life was full of fun until you started shining brightly. You were so strong on us. One by one, I lost many of my dear brothers. They simply evaporated away. I was still grieving and recovering from the shock when you decided it was my turn to go. You pumped heat into me and made me lighter. I felt funny and awful. I was rising up with great speed and everyone was looking at me. They were bidding me good-bye, but I was not sure of what was happening. Suddenly I got ejected out my home, the dear ocean. You are evil. You converted me into a gaseous state and took me away from my people…

I rose into the sky. Higher and higher, until I reached the doors of the heaven. Somehow I felt wonderful again. The memories of my home started fading away. I was enjoying this place now. I met some of my brothers from the ocean, but I also made new friends. Just like me, they had come to the sky; but from places such as rivers and lakes. Every minute we met the new arrivals. I took pride in showing them thru the vastness of the sky. Sometimes we would get together and make shapes in the sky. The human beings used to exclaim, “Look! That cloud looks like a duck”. The next moment we changed the formation and the duck shape disappeared. Those were naughty days. I traveled a lot thanks to uncle wind. He took me places far and wide, in formations of white, gray and black.

Slowly our numbers grew. We started playing hide and seek. Covering you up and then suddenly exposing you! I was bright white and you started turning me dark and black. I was scared and terrified about my fate. I stopped being funny and became serious with my brothers. We gathered together in such large numbers that you were blocked completely. Some of the brothers broke out into a fight. There were grumbling noises and sparks that lit the whole sky. Those were dark days indeed.

I started gaining weight and the old feeling came back. I was undergoing changes inside me again. My brothers were experiencing the same too and were pleading for help. Everything was dark since we had covered you up. The uneasiness and discomfort grew because the space was insufficient to hold us all. Finally, with one swift action, all of us were released from the gates of the sky. Falling freely, we were gushing down with a sense of urgency. I started recalling my home back in the ocean and my brothers said we are going back home. Everyone was feeling happy again.

Mother Earth welcomed us. She was very hungry and missed all of us. She accepted everyone with open arms. I took a long journey thru the forest, stream and river and finally entered the ocean. Now I’m playing with the seaweeds and watching a ship cruising by.

Home sweet home.

• You made my day (16)
• There it is! (4)
• The perfume seller (8)
• The Blue Chatur (42)
• The Bagel Story (14)

6:40 am: I am late, as usual. I run around the house searching frantically for my socks while mom warns me not to leave without eating. Ugh,.. How much she insists on having breakfast. She knows my appetite well.

After a lot of fuss, I get ready, hastily apply jam to my paratha (kind of an Indian bread) and run out to hoping to reach the bus stop barely in time. I walk at supersonic speed to my target while happily munching the morning snack. This is a daily scene and the regular people around no longer give me crazy looks. Some old lady (stranger) on the street once quipped: चालता चालता खाऊ नको रे … ( “Don’t eat while you are walking”). Yes grandma, I hear ya!

A little puppy follows me. He also runs at as fast as he can to catch up with my brisk walking. Street dogs! What a menace… I murmur to myself. I’m half kilometer away from my home and the pup is still following me. He is running so fast, that his limbs might just fall off! Silly dogs. (I am still eating).

I reach my bus stop and heave a sigh of relief. I can see the bus far away trying to slither like a snake thru the morning bustle of milkmen, paper boys and the commuters. Victory! (I’m almost done eating).

Happily, I stuff the last bit of paratha into my mouth. My mouth is really full now. I look around, … what the hell… The silly puppy is still here! He is looking at me intently. Stop staring at me you crazy dog! But his sight is mutely focused on me. There is a strange kind of sadness in his eyes. They are large, black and sparkling, and piercing straight inside. He is watching me chew the food. Then he licks his mouth.

My heart crashes then and there.

The dog is hungry, and I just finished eating. He was chasing me all this time hoping to get something to eat. He is still looking at me hopefully. Oh dear God, I have nothing to feed him… I’m still in shock, trying to recover. For a moment I’m unable to think or move. Then I start thinking and moving. I buy a pack of Parle G (glucose biscuits) and empty it. The fellow nibbles at one biscuit, and then gladly eats away the whole pack.

There! A satisfied look in those eyes! He is wagging his tail furiously. He looks happy. I feel so happy!!

I’m watching this little creation of God till he finishes his snack and trots away. Meanwhile my bus has already gone.

But who cares! I’m the happiest person on earth today! You made my day!

• There it is! (4)
• The perfume seller (8)
• The Blue Chatur (42)
• The Bagel Story (14)
• The Ant and the Grasshopper (1)